Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Monday that his security cabinet’s strategy for taking control of Gaza is more extensive than initially disclosed, asserting that Israel “has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.”
Netanyahu’s office had made an initial statement on Friday, but he now specifies the scope of operations to include not just Gaza City but also the “central camps” and Muwasi. These latter areas are home to well over 500,000 people. The Israeli prime minister also mentioned discussing the plan with President Donald Trump and expressed gratitude for America’s “steadfast support.”
“Our objective is not to occupy Gaza; rather, it is to liberate Gaza,” Netanyahu declared on Monday. His office articulated that the goals behind the takeover involve completely eradicating Hamas across Gaza, subsequently stabilizing the region, and ultimately transitioning leadership to amicable Arab factions that oppose Hamas.
The Security Cabinet’s declaration on Friday stated that it had, via a vote, endorsed five principles for ending the conflict. These principles comprise: disarming Hamas, ensuring the return of all hostages (both living and deceased), demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, maintaining Israeli security control within the Gaza Strip, and establishing an alternative civil administration distinct from both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
The plan grants authorization to Defense Minister Israel Katz to mobilize more than 400,000 military reservists to execute the operation, with the call-up active until November 30.
This operational development coincides with several of Israel’s long-standing allies declaring intentions to recognize a Palestinian state. France articulated this willingness earlier in the year, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada over the past fortnight. was the most recent country to do so on Sunday.
” recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, based on the commitments Australia has secured from the Palestinian Authority,” stated Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, referring to the governing body of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank.
He specified that these commitments involved the demilitarization of Gaza and the conduct of elections, ensuring no role for Hamas in a Palestinian government. Australia has officially designated Hamas a , and Albanese reiterated his government’s demands on Monday for the group to release Israeli hostages captured since the October 7, 2023 massacre.
“A two-state solution represents humanity’s most promising path to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to conclude the conflict, suffering, and starvation in Gaza,” Albanese affirmed.
The prime minister also stated that the situation in Gaza “has exceeded the world’s worst fears.” He leveled accusations against the Israeli government, stating it continues “to defy international law and deny sufficient aid, food, and water to desperate populations, including children.”
Concurrently, the U.S. has consistently defended Israel at the United Nations against allegations of genocide. Nevertheless, other rival nations on the U.N. Security Council have shown considerable willingness to criticize Israel, with China denouncing the situation in Gaza as alleged “collective punishment,” and Russia labeling it a “reckless intensification of hostilities” during a security meeting on Sunday.
This report includes contributions from ‘ Bradford Betz and the Associated Press.